Although NIU officials are unsure of how a computerized phone system will work and where the money will come from, the student financial aid office might adopt one to speed operations.

The computerized phone system would cut the long lines in the Financial Aid Office and migHt be available to students late this semester.

“We’re about to start working with the NIU telecommunications office” on a system designed to help move students through the financial aid office more quickly, said Jerry Augsburger, NIU student financial aid office director.

Although Augsburger said a design for the system, as well as the details of how it would work, has not been worked out yet, it could be ready for use as early as this semester or early next semester.

“I don’t want to appear optimistic, but we’re shooting for implementation at the end of fall or early spring of this school year,” he said.

Originally, NIU officials thought the phnne system would cost as much as $40,000 when it was proposed last spring. However, while Augsburger could not give a definite cost, he said it would probably be less than $40,000.

The system, which is similar to a $40,000 phone service at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, is not being designed through an outside vendor, Augsburger said.

“We’re workinginternally (with NIU telecommunications) so there is not a huge purchase price,” he said.

Augsburger said although no student fees would be involved in the purchase price of the phone system, it has not yet been determined how NIU will pay for the system.

“The money would probably come from some part of the NIU budget,” he said.

A Fiscal Year 1991 add-on budget request was made for the system by the Financial Aid Advisory Committee. NIU’s FY 1990-91 budget is more than $200 million, said Richard Lazarski, from NIU’s Budget and Planning office.

About 10,000 to 12,000 of the roughly 25,000 students at NIU receive some sort of financial aid, Augsburger said.

NIU telecommunications has the ability to “design a system that will meet the needs of the (financial aid) office,” he said.

“But, there are still times when students are unhappy,” he said.

Students’ complaints about financial aid range from not applying in time to recieve aid to not receiving enough money, Augsburger said.